COVID-19 Update: What the “Stay at Home” Order Means

Your Update on What's Happening at the King County Council  

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Two days ago, Governor Inslee issued a statewide “stay at home” order requiring people to stay home unless pursuing an essential activity. This order is in effect until April 6th. Today, all non-essential businesses are closing. For a list of what businesses are considered essential, go here.  

In the days since the stay at home order was announced, the details of the order have become more clear. Here is a quick breakdown:

All public and private gatherings are banned. Outdoor activities are allowed, as long as you stay 6 feet away from people who don’t live in the same household as you. You’re also allowed to leave your home to care for a family member, friend, or pet in another residence or to drive someone to an essential health activity. Go here to download the full text of the Governor’s stay at home proclamation.

Please remember that there is no need to hoard supplies. Essential activities such as grocery shopping are still allowed. Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and other businesses that meet people’s basic, crucial needs will remain open.

In this challenging time, I want you to know that your local leaders are working to keep you safe. While this "stay at home" order puts a burden on every one of us, I truly believe the sacrifices our community makes today will be rewarded in lives saved in the near future.

I will continue to send you updates as our scenario evolves. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,

Reagan Dunn Vice Chair Metropolitan King County Council

Announcing Project CARE

Yesterday, the Council voted to unanimously approve my legislation creating a program I’ve dubbed Project CARE (COVID-19 ACTION and RESPONSE ENLISTMENT). Project CARE will be a one-stop shop for the broader community to connect with local needs and volunteer opportunities. As we continue to experience a lot of challenges in the coming weeks, my hope is that Project CARE will harness the generosity, energy, and talent of our region and unify our communities as we fight COVID-19 together.

I will continue to update you as Project CARE is design and implemented in the coming weeks.

New Testing Program to Better Understand the COVID-19 Outbreak

Public Health has partnered with the Seattle Flu Study to launch a home testing program called SCAN. This program will help officials better understand the COVID-19 outbreak and whether social distancing efforts are slowing the spread.

This is how SCAN works: a random cross-section of residents around King County will be receiving at-home tests. Scientists will use the collected data to better predict the number of people who may be infected but unrecognized. The results will help answer questions like how the virus is affecting our kids and which groups in King County are most at risk for infection.

To sign up to participate or to learn more about SCAN, visit scanpublichealth.org.

New COVID-19 Isolation & Recovery Center at Harborview Hall

King County, in partnership with Harborview Medical Center, is planning to open an isolation and recovery center in the county’s Harborview Hall building, located at 326 Ninth Avenue.

Harborview Hall, located across the street from Harborview Medical Center, will serve as a recovery site primarily for people who do not have a home to recover at and who may have other health needs requiring a level of monitoring by onsite medical center staff.

These isolation and recovery locations are all part of our continuing effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community and to preserve critical hospital beds for those with the most acute healthcare needs.   

Harborview Medical Center is owned by King County, governed by the Harborview Board of Trustees, and managed under contract by the University of Washington. It is the only Level 1 Trauma Center for a four-state region, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

Just Released: COVID-19 Data Dashboard

Go to Public Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard to view the most up-to-date data on the COVID-19 outbreak summarized through different visual representations. Data are updated daily in the early afternoon and reflect laboratory results reported to the Washington State Department of Health as of midnight the day before.